Life Threatening
by LaLaina
Summary: "Finally, Damon admits the truth to Stefan about a terrible new development they must face."
1. Life Threatening

**Life Threatening **  
><em>Chapter 1: <em>

Night was slowly falling over the small town called Mystic Falls. It was a clear night with the big moon shining down on the world. The moon was shining with a brightness that it could only have after a night of a full moon. The light fell unhindered down on the lonely graveyard of the town.

Just a few hours ago, there had been a small crowd of people, grieving the loss of a young woman. Two young people, a boy and a girl, had been crying, taking in the hole that the death of her aunt left in their lives. A man was with them, trying to steady the emotional broken teenagers. But he himself had been one of the closest person to the woman just buried. He struggled to hold back the tears and to remain strong for the two kids. But the burden of the loss of his girlfriend made him lose his restraint.

Behind the three grieving persons was a small crowd of friends, not many but enough to see that Jenna Sommers had been loved.

The sad afternoon was long gone and night had come. And with the silent night came a lonely figure, clad entirely in black so that he was able to merge into the shadows. The man strode over to fresh grave and took the place that was just a few hours ago occupied by the man that lost his beloved. Little did any observer know that the grieving man from previously and the lone young man in front of the grave were best friends.

The moonlight lit up the handsome features of the man when he looked up at the moon and then back at the headstone. He sighed lowly and then began to talk softly to the dead woman inside of the tomb.

"You probably wouldn't want me here but I'm here to apologize. So … I'm sorry, Jenna. I really am. I never meant this to happen. I was ready to die, you weren't. I thought that I would be the spare vampire. And I was and still am useless. Just as always."

His head was still lowered and he didn't dare to look up so he just stared at his feet and sighed. He shook his head while burying his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"You know, I really liked you. You had fire. It was a lot of fun to be around you."

He chuckled when he obviously drifted off with his memories into happier days with the dead woman. A light smile made his handsome features even more beautiful. But the grin seemed tight, not one of those who would light up the whole face. It didn't reach his ice blue eyes. And it was turned off in an instant.

"And you were good for Alaric. He really loved you, you know. Without you he won't be the old Alaric. He means a lot to me. I wish I could be there for him. He is going to need someone, and I'm not able to give what he needs to him. You would be, but you can't because I screwed it up. Just as always!"

He sighed once again and then his eyes trailed over the grave and stopped at the name of Jenna Sommers.

"So I guess that's goodbye, Jenna. I'm sorry."

He looked down on the fresh earth one last time and then turned to walk away from another death in his long life. But when he turned he ran into another person. When he looked up he saw the face of his younger brother. He groaned; this was just what he needed right now.

"What do you want, _Stefan_?"

Stefan folded his arms in front of his chest and looked challenging at his brother. His green eyes were blazing with anger.

"I could ask you the same. What are you doing here, _Damon_?"

Damon actually laughed at that, but then he shook his head and rounded his brother.

"Don't play innocent. I know you heard everything that I said."

The younger brother followed him when he made his way out of the graveyard. He was obviously eager to talk and make his brother's evening a living hell.

"What did you mean with useless? Why did you say you couldn't be there for Alaric?"

But when Damon didn't react to his words and just continued on his march Stefan grew angry. What the young man didn't saw was how Damon's face turned pale at the mentioning of those two fateful sentences.

"He is your best friend! You can't walk away from him when he needs you!"

The mentioning of Alaric, Stefan's history teacher and Damon's best friend, got a reaction from Damon. He half-turned and snarled at his younger brother.

"Leave it alone, Stefan. Just leave me alone."

He picked up his walking pace and hurried to reach the graveyards entrance. But Stefan wasn't that easy to get rid of. He kept up with Damon and tried to stop him from leaving. Why could his little brother not just piss off? He was so tired, the strain of the day was exhausting him to a point he never reached before.

"Damon, you …"

Stefan grabbed his brother's arm, trying to stop him from walking away. His fingers closed around the crook of his brother's elbow and the reaction to this touch was surprising and shocking for him. Damon cringed and hissed in pain and tried to break the grip on his arm. Stefan was taken aback by his older brother's action and immediately let go to stop his pain.

The young man took a deep breath and looked up at his brother. Stefan's gaze met Damon's and confusion was written all over his face. But when Damon quickly stood to get out of his brother's reach, Stefan was too fast for him and grabbed his brother's wrists. Damon struggled to get away from him but he was not strong enough and Stefan could hold him easily in place. The younger boy grasped the left sleeve of the leather jacket and yanked it over Damon's elbow.

The bright light of the moon made it easy for Stefan to see the dark red imprint of a bite on the pale skin. It was a small injury but it had begun to spread and was infected. Stefan's eyes were glued to his brother's painful injury. His hand gripped Damon's wrist even tighter and it seem as if he was afraid that when he'd let go he would lose his brother.

Stefan's dark green eyes slowly wandered from Damon's arm up to his face where it was met by two tired, almost scared intense blue eyes. He shook his head slowly, denying what he was seeing.

"No! That's not true. That can't be true! Damon…"

Damon opened his mouth to reply but he turned pale and his eyes widened before they rolled up into his head and he lost consciousness. His body slumped down to the earth but before it hit the ground it was gathered up in strong arms. Stefan picked his brother up bridal style and looked down at Damon's pale face while searching for any sign of awareness. When he saw that his older brother had passed out, he turned to carry him back home, fully aware of the new threat to his brother's life.

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><p><strong>AN: **

**So I was thinking about how Damon is going to tell Stefan that he was bitten ... ****And this is the result!**

**When I started writing this I thought Jenna is going to die on Thursday but now I'm not so sure anymore. I think it's John...**

**It's probably a one-shot or the prequel to a story I'm thinking about writing.**

**Tell me what you think! I love reviews...**

**And maybe I think of continuing with a story in my view on the next two episodes...**

**LaLaina**


	2. Farewell Brother

_Chapter 2:_

_Of all sad things we may endure, the saddest is in saying 'farewell brother' _

That was Stefan's thought as he looked down on his motionless brother whom he carried back home. He still couldn't believe the fact that Damon had been bitten but the red pulsing wound on Damon's left arm which was draped over his stomach told him how close his brother was to losing his life.

He couldn't stand the thought of losing Damon, not now when their relationship had begun to turn. But one look in Damon's pale face showed that his time was running out. Stefan had to act fast if he wanted to accomplish anything before it would be too late.

But his priority in the moment was to bring Damon home. He was not dying yet but the events of the day had taken their toll and he was completely exhausted. Rest would probably do his weaker getting body some well too. And it wasn't like Damon could protest in this state which he would probably do if he would have been conscious. He hated to be treated as a weak human.

But in the moment he wasn't anywhere as powerful as Stefan. The way his body was lying slack in his younger brothers confirmed this. While his left arm rested on his stomach, Damon's right arm dangled down next to his body, completely limb. His dark head leaned against Stefan's upper arm but lost its hold there every now and then so that it rolled back and hung over Stefan's right arm. The younger Salvatore couldn't stand seeing Damon's exposed throat; he was completely vulnerable and Stefan felt as if it would be an easy thing to kill his brother right there and then, without him being able to protect his older brother.

He shifted his hold on the fragile body once again so that the head rolled back to its previous place. Damon's eyes were still closed and it didn't seem as if he would wake up anytime soon. Stefan hoped that he would wake up once they were home, he needed to talk to Damon as soon as possible.

He made his way up the driveway to their house and Stefan could see that no light was on. He didn't recall Elena telling him that she wouldn't be home, but she was probably still with Jeremy at their aunt's home. Hopefully she wouldn't come back soon; it would break her to see Damon in this state. And God knew, she had suffered enough pain in these last few weeks for a lifetime.

When he approach the dark house he could say for sure that Elena wasn't home for he could not hear her soft heartbeat. A sigh of relief escaped his throat. He couldn't deal with Elena and her worry about Damon right now. He needed to figure things out first.

He reached the closed front door and kicked it open and out of its locks to not have to set down Damon. He raced down the hallway and up the stairs to Damon's room. Fortunately the door was open so he stepped into the dark room and made his way over to the huge bed. When he set down Damon, he began to stir. Stefan sat down next to him and called his name softly.

Damon's eyelids fluttered open and dull blue eyes stared up at Stefan. They couldn't focus and it didn't seem as if Damon had any awareness of his surroundings. When Damon didn't react to his brother's voice, Stefan took hold of his shoulders. And that made Damon's eyes fully snap open and when they focused on Stefan he tried to back up, away from the person who could hurt him. It was clear that Damon didn't recognize his younger brother.

It pained Stefan to see fear and unsteadiness in those sky blue eyes. It reminded him of the time when his brother was human and so much softer and caring than he was now. A Damon that was long gone now. But in this very moment he could see the old Damon and it made his heart ache. He was not ready to let go of him.

"Shh. Damon, it's me. Stefan. I'm not gonna hurt you. You're safe." tried Stefan with assuring voice but Damon was still crawling back, out of his reach. His retreat though was stopped by the headboard of his bed where he was pressing his back against. Stefan suppressed the urge to follow Damon which would only have resulted in scaring him even more. So he settled with keeping eye contact and trying to reach Damon's shut mind with his voice. "It's me, Damon. Your brother Stefan. Remember? I won't hurt you. It's Stefan."

And finally Stefan could see something in Damon's eyes change. The fear disappeared and left was only confusion and pain. "Stefan?" asked the elder brother with a weak voice. Something flickered in his eyes and he stared at Stefan as if he saw him for the first time in years. Stefan nodded slowly and then started to approach his brother slowly. Damon didn't back up but eyed him closely and let him come nearer.

When Stefan was in range of his brother he stretched out one hand and carefully pulled his brother in his arms. Damon was going with it and fell against Stefan's chest. He remained there and let Stefan stroke his hair and back soothingly. Stefan could feel his brother relax in his arms and so he kept up with the caressing, hoping that it would help him relax even more.

Damon's head rested now on Stefan's shoulder and he began to doze off. When Stefan realized what was happening he pulled out of the embrace and kept his brother on arm length. Damon's eyes were already closed again but they opened a small gap when Stefan grabbed his chin and made him look at him.

"Damon, what happened? Who bit you?" asked Stefan locking his gaze with Damon's tired one and tried to make him stay awake. But when Damon's eyes closed and his body began to relax again, Stefan slapped him lightly on the cheek which made the blue eyes snap open again.

"Stay awake, please Damon. Answer my questions! When were you bitten?" asked Stefan once again.

Damon's eyelids grew heavier with every second but he tried to fulfill his brother's wishes. "Tyler Lockwood, when I tried to rescue him an' Car'line. He was transformin' and attack'd her. I push'd him down. That's what happn'd." Damon's words were slurred and his low voice was barely hearable. But still Stefan understood every single word and just stared at Damon. Full moon had only been one night ago and the bite already affected Damon this badly. He didn't want to see the full affects of the werewolf bite.

Damon's soft and pained voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Stefan, it hurts. Make it stop." When he refocused on his older brother he could see the pain written on his face. Pain and fatigue made Damon's pale face even whiter. Stefan loosened his grip on Damon's chin and stroked his cheek softly before pushing him down carefully into the soft pillows. Damon's eyes closed immediately and he relaxed into the softness that only smooth bed sheets could bring.

When Stefan saw that Damon was close to the pain-easing sleep, he got up and pulled the blanket over his brother. He looked down on him one last time and wondered why this had to strike Damon of all people. He didn't deserve this, he already paid for his mistakes. But obviously some mystical power, may it be called God or anything else, didn't thought so.

He turned to make his way out of the room to let Damon rest in non disturbance. "Stefan?" Damon's weak voice made him turn around. His brother looked at him, already half asleep. "Don't tell her, please. She doesn't need this right now. She suffered enough already." Stefan, fully aware of which her Damon was referring to, nodded and then watched Damon slip back into unconsciousness. And when he finally left his brother's room, one thought accompanied him.

_And does anyone care about how much _you_ already suffered?_

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><p><strong>AN:**

**So thanks to you guys, I continued. Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites. **

**I suck at one-shots anyway.**

**Soo, I wanted to update more than one chapter before Thursday, but my school is still helping at the Recreation Centers for the Tornado Victims here in Tuscaloosa, so I have no idea how much I will get done before the final episode!**

**So excited! I waited for these scenes since they revealed that a werewolf bite kills vampires! I knew that Damon is going to be bitten! And now I'm counting down the minutes until Thursday, 7 pm!**

**Obsessed? Yes, I am! But we probably all are ... in different ways anyway.**

**So make me happy and review so that I know if I can continue or if it would be a waste of time since my stories suck anyway.**

**LaLaina**

**P.S.: Since I have exactly 5400 minutes left (told ya I keep count!) I just wanted to tell you that I wrote this chapter with one song being always on replay: Skinny Love**

**Love this song so much! Can't stop listening to it!**

**And today I was driving and the radio was playing 'How to save a life' by The Fray. And suddenly I have a whole new thought while listening to this song! All I say is Damon/Stefan! The song is made for the last episode and their relationship!**


	3. Sun kissed Skin

_Chapter 3:_

It was still dark outside when Damon awoke in a fit of pain. One spasm after another was raging through his body. The pain's origin was his left forearm but it didn't stop there; it crept up his arm and pulsed through the rest of his already sore body.

But the pain in his limbs was nothing compared to the agony that filled his head and mind. Damon had his eyes tightly shut, trying to ease the hammering in his skull. But no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't stop. It only got worse. The pain swelled until his surroundings were pushed in the background. His whole mind was focused on the inescapable pain.

His senses were dull; he couldn't hear anything other than the rushing of his own blood and the fast beating of his normally pulsing heart. He didn't dare opening his eyes, fearing the blackness that would confirm that another of his senses had been taken from him and that he was indeed blind. He wasn't able to feel any part of his body anymore, it felt like Damon only existed as a horribly tortured mind.

He tried to suppress a scream when a sharp sting of pain, this time even worse than before, once again tore through his body and left him screaming and begging for an end. Never in his long life had he felt as much agony as he did now. Never had he yelped for help with a weak and torn voice. And never had he wanted so badly to die.

After, it seemed like forever, the werewolf's bite effects stopped torturing their victim and left Damon panting for air, laying exhausted and numb in his bed. He could feel cold sweat run down his burning forehead and into his already soaked black hair. He lifted his trembling hand slowly and covered his eyes before opening them, blinking in the dimness of the room. He moaned lowly when the faint light of the rising sun made his already throbbing head ache even more.

While trying to recover, his thought trailed off to the only person who could have given comfort in moment like this. Rose had known the agony of a bite, had experienced it herself. She would have soothed him, she would have been able to. But the only resemblence that they shared in the moment had been her death sentence. And would be his too.

He had seen Rose go down and losing her mind in the progress. But seeing doesn't mean knowing. And knowing doesn't mean understanding. He understood now. And he wished that he never had to make this experience. But Fate once again wanted him to suffer.

Rose had been lucky. She had lived for over five hundred years. Damon was barely 170 years old, he was just a kid in the eyes of older vampires. Rose had seen so much, had made life experience. Damon let his life slip away, focused only on one thing: getting his beloved Katherine out of that tomb. His whole life had been wasted. And Rose had have friends. People like Slater, and Trevor. And Damon. And what did Damon have? A brother that hated him, a girl that would never return his love and a best friend who had been appealed to kill him. Nobody would make him the favor he did for Rose. Nobody would stake him to end his suffering.

Damon's eyes suddenly snapped open. His lips curved into a wide smile. Nobody would. But one person could. He could do it himself. It wasn't like he had never thought about it before. Well, he hadn't thought about in a century. As a vampire, he had no reason to. He switched off his emotions. But as a human, the thought about ending his life had accompanied him every day. His father's words and actions had driven Damon into a suicidal state. But he never succeeded in taking his life. Stefan was one of the reasons Damon held onto his depressing existence.

But right now, not even Stefan mattered anymore. Only one thing mattered: ending his pain and pitiful presence. Nothing would stop him this time.

Slowly he crawled out of the bed sheets in which he had entangled himself while having a complete physical breakdown. His right foot got stuck in the blanket when he stumbled out of his bed. Damon lost his balance and had an undesirable encounter with the floor. He groaned and rubbed his head, this now actually hurt. He could feel his body grow weaker with every second. He would have to act fast to prevent worse pain fits.

He willed his stiff limbs to correspond with the rest of his body and pushed himself off the ground. But as soon as he stood, his surroundings began to spin and he could feel his legs wobble again. He stumbled forward and grabbed the bedpost to steady himself until his sight became clear again. Shaking his head while taking deep breaths, Damon made his way down the stairs.

He couldn't hear Stefan anywhere but this mustn't mean that he was out. Damon's ability to hear had suffered hard under the effects of the bite. He felt like a human; weak, blind, and deaf. A state that he absolutely hated. Even though he missed being human, being superior to almost everyone was a nice advantages of being a vampire.

But with every advantage came disadvantages. And the huge window in the living room showed one of those downsides in all its beauty. The orange-red sun was struggling to rise over the horizon, bathing the backyard of the Salvatore Boarding House in a warm and bright light. The sun symbolized everything that Damon had lost: warmth, love, life. Wouldn't it be poetic when the sun, the only thing that Damon had idolized in his whole life, would end the life of the young vampire?

Yes, Damon liked this idea. Almost in trance he made his way over to the large opening in the wall, hypnotized by the shining brightness of the first sunbeams of the day. His right hand wandered to his left and without hesitation he slipped his life saving ring from his finger. It dropped to the floor, already forgotten and left behind, not needed anymore.

When Damon reached the edges of the shadow, he stopped. His eyes were still fixed on the barely visible sun and then with one quick motion, he stepped out into the engulfing sunlight. Due to the earliness of the day, the sun's power wasn't in the state which was fatal to vampires. Instead Damon could feel his clamp skin begin to warm up. A feeling he hadn't felt in over a century. A feeling that he missed every second he looked up at the sun.

He let his eyes slide shut and embraced the feeling of the warming sun. He slowly lifted his arms, exposing himself to the soon destructive power. The fingers of his left hand were already spread wildly apart, relaxing to ease the throbbing pain in Damon's left arm. His to a fist clenched right hand began unclench carefully and Damon let himself sink into the warmth that the sun was providing.

But the good feeling didn't last long. Suddenly something collided with Damon and two bodies stumbled out of the light and collapsed in the shadow. Damon's head hit the floor hard and black spots appeared in front of his eyes. He blinked them away and looked up to see Stefan hover over him. A look of pure shock was plastered on his brother's face and he stared wide-eyed down on Damon. Stefan's hands had grabbed his collar, and Damon could see Stefan's knuckles turn white, so firm was he holding onto his brother.

"What were you thinking?" whispered Stefan, his voice indicating the worry and shock he felt. He couldn't believe the spectacle he just had been witness to. Ice cold fear had grabbed his heart when he had seen Damon sacrificing himself to the sun. His instincts had reacted and he had thrown himself at Damon, pulling his brother with him in the safe shadows.

Damon glared at Stefan, annoyed that he had been once again hindered while ending his life. He lifted his hands and tried to loosen Stefan's grip on him but had no success. "Let go, Stefan. Get your stupid ass off me!"

Stefan's eyes were blazing with anger and he lifted Damon by his collar a few inches just to slam his head on the floor while shouting at his brother, "What do you think you were doing?"

Holding his head, Damon whimpered and shot his brother death glares. "Stop it! It hurts!"

Stefan laughed humorless. "This hurts? Do you have any idea how much burning to death in the sun hurts?" His features softened when he looked down on his defeated brother. "You were trying to kill yourself. Why? You don't even give me the chance to save your life!"

He actually expected an answer. But Damon wasn't going to give him one, he kept his mouth shut and avoided eye contact. He heard his brother sighed over him before he was roughly pulled to his feet and Stefan towed him through the dark living room and down the stairs in the direction of the basement.

When they reached the stairs, Damon started to struggle against the hold on his wrists but was unsuccessful in breaking Stefan's strong grip on him. The younger Salvatore pulled him down the stairs easily and pushed him in an open cellar. For the third time this day, Damon hit the floor hard but unlike the other times he leaped up instantly and turned to face an already closed door and the face of Stefan behind it.

"Damn it, Stefan! Let me out! Why are you doing this?" shouted Damon and staggered over to the door to face Stefan. His brother took a step back and eyed him with barely suppressed anger.

"You tried to take your life, Damon. You're suicidal! That's reason enough to lock you in here. I'm not letting you near the sunlight ever again!" shouted Stefan back and then turned away from his locked up brother to make his way up the stairs.

"Let me out! Stefan! Don't you dare doing this to me!" yelled Damon behind him but he just continued on his march out of the basement. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked over to Damon and caught his gaze. "I'm sorry, Damon. But you leave me no other choice."

"No! Stefan! Stefan, you can't do this. Stefan!" But Stefan ignored the shouts of his brother and took one step at the time, his heart breaking with every single desperate call from Damon.

"STEFAN!"

He reached the top of the stairs and sighed. Now that Damon was out of danger, well at least kind of, he had to start look for a cure. But he had no idea where to begin. He desperately needed help. And there was one person that could probably help in any way needed.

Stefan fished for his phone and called one of those persons that he didn't want to involve in this but couldn't be left out.

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><p><strong>AN:**

**I got a chapter done in one day? That's new!**

**So we got 64 hours left... still excited xD**

**And for the first time ever I wanna thank two persons:**

Charrisma**, you got me smiling so widely in the middle of chemistry class! My teacher is probably thinking that I must love RedOx-Reactions...**

**And **oni-hime-san**, how did you get into my mind? I agree with everything that you said! Although I'm still hoping that Damon will die but come back as a vampwolf! Werepire vs. Vampwolf! But this will probably only happen in my dreams and stories xD**

**So until next time...**

**LaLaina**


	4. No Solace for Silence

_Chapter 4:_

Stefan's finger hovered unsure above his touch screen, undetermined which person to c all. He had wanted to call Bonnie, asking her if there was anything said in her grimoires about werewolf bites, their effects and a cure. But as soon as he had opened his contact list, two more names had popped into his mind.

He hadn't talked to Elena since he left her home where everyone had mourned Jenna and John, to look for his brother. Of course she had notice the absence of Damon but she too had shrugged it off, not expecting everything else from Damon. Stefan knew better now why Damon had been missing. He had avoided them, trying to shield his weakness to spare them from worrying.

But Elena would soon emerge from the silence, demanding an explanation and apology from Damon. However, Stefan had promised Damon to keep the bite a secret and he had expanded this promise to keeping Elena from Damon. Yes, she probably deserved to know, after all she cared deeply for Damon. But it had been Damon's wish, maybe his last one, and Stefan was determined to honor it.

Out there, not even far from the Salvatore Boarding House however was a person who just lost one of the most important people in his life. Losing his best friend just shortly after that would devastate him to the breaking point. But being kept in the darkness and away from his dying friend would kill Alaric. He hadn't much strength left after Jenna died. What kept him going was the knowledge that his best friend needed him. Without Alaric, Damon would probably lose another connection to his humanity and that would tear the vampire apart.

Alaric deserved to know, and not only that, he _needed _to know. Damon would need him by his side now. And Stefan wouldn't take this from them. He would call Alaric, telling him what happened and pleading him to come over.

But first he had to call Bonnie. She was his only option in the moment to find a cure. Determined Stefan pressed the call button and listened to the ringing noise. Hopefully Bonnie would pick up, he had no idea where to find her right now. His pleading had been heard and after the fourth ringing Bonnie picked up and asked in a worried voice: "Stefan? What's going on? Did something happen?"

Stefan looked down on the ground and shook his head while answering her. "Nothing happened. Everything is fine. Well, kind of everything." He breathed out and waited for Bonnie's answer.

"What do you mean? Kind of?"

"Look, we have a huge problem." Stefan scratched his head and took a deep breath. He had no idea how Bonnie would take the news. Bonnie didn't care for his big brother at all. She probably wouldn't help when she heard what the problem was. "Look, Bonnie. Could you meet me at the witches burn side? I'll explain everything, I promise."

"Stefan, you …" but before Bonnie had any chance to finish her sentence, Stefan cut her off through ending the phone call. He heard the clicking sound that indicated that the line had been closed and the connection was cut off and that was his sign; he couldn't stand any longer, he leaned against the wall and let his head fall back so that it hit the wood-clad wall with a soft thud. He covered his eyes and took a deep and shaky breath.

Now was the moment that his mind finally came to comprehend the last few minutes. He had acted on instinct, without even thinking but now he realized what the problem really was. Without him, Damon would have been successful in his suicide attempt. It hurt that Damon even thought about giving up the fight. It hurt even more that he obviously had given up fighting.

Stefan had never seen his brother as a coward but this situation left him with only two choices for calling Damon: lonely and desperate, or dying and accepting. Either way, not a Damon that he wanted to see right now. He needed the Damon right now who had fought for Elena with his very soul and who wouldn't back down even if everything blew up in his face. But instead he got the Damon that he thought died over a century ago. The human Damon who wanted nothing more than die after he lost Katherine.

Anger rose in Stefan and he balled his hand to a fist before hitting the wall hard, making the wood crack and splitter under the heavy force. Why would Damon fight until death to protect the ones he loved, but when it came down to his own life he just gave up and accepted his end? He was so much like Elena, it made Stefan scream. Why had he gotten two of the most stubborn people in the world as his loved ones? It made his job to protect them so much harder. As soon as one was out of danger, the next one was right in the middle of the next life threatening trouble again. He got Elena back from the dead but only to end up having to save Damon's ass with no help from him at all.

When he concentrated he could hear Damon pounding against the door and calling him words he never heard before. Clearly Damon was beyond pissed at him for locking him down there but that didn't matter to Stefan. It was the only way.

And Bonnie was the only way to get help for Damon. But Stefan was the one who needed help right now. He couldn't meet Bonnie and make sure that Damon would stay put at the same time. The lock on the door wouldn't hold long against the fury radiating from Damon. So Stefan needed a babysitter for Damon … this just sounded wrong in so many ways. But anyway, he needed someone. And he knew for sure that there was only one person able to do this job.

He reached for his phone that he had dropped with ending the call to Bonnie once again and dialed the number. He could hear it ring and suddenly he was filled with doubt. Was it really necessary to involve someone else in this whole affair? After all, this was just Damon and Stefan's problem. They could just keep this from everyone, until it was over. That was Damon's strategy.

Stefan's plan would take a different approach on this topic, he was determined on finding a cure. He only got Bonnie into this discussion because she would be out of Damon's reach and that way not in the direct danger zone. But when he got someone else to take care of Damon while he was off searching for a not existing cure, he would put the person with Damon in immense danger.

But after all, he had no choice. So he just listened to the ringing, pleading that someone would answer. It was already ringing for too long, soon switching over to voice mail and destroying Stefan's hope. In that moment it clicked and Stefan was sure to have reached the mail box but a breathy voice answered. "Hello?"

Stefan breathed out before responding. "Ric? Hey. It's me, Stefan." He listened and waited for an answer but all he got was a sigh and he almost heard how Alaric shook his head and then demanded to know: "What do you want, Stefan? It's not like I'm in any mood to make Smalltalk with you right now. So just tell, what the problem is, I'll tell you that I can't help. And it's solved."

Stefan hadn't expected that kind of an outburst from the normally calm teacher who was capable of getting a class down to a voice volume that was not eardrums crushing and who was probably one of the only persons who could watch one of the infamous Damon-tantrums without being frighten to death by the brutal force and honesty that would slip in those moments. No, Alaric was definitely not a person tending to sudden breakout. And this had taken Stefan off guard. "Ric, are you drunk?"

A short laugh could be heard from the other side of the line. "Drunk? Drunk! Of course I am! Beyond drunk, I would say. By the way, I'm all alone here, where is Damon? He should at least keep me company like I did for him!" Well, that went fast down that street, thought Stefan. Damon's absence had been faster noticed than thought.

So Alaric would be the first to know what was going on. "Yeah, about that. Could you come over? I really need your help over here." He took a deep breath to continue but he was cut off by Alaric who sounded way more sober than he did just seconds ago. "What happened? Everything alright?"

"No. No, it's not alright. It's Damon, he's dying." said Stefan and let the news sink in. He could hear Alaric gasp and curse. "Look, I don't have time right now, could you just come over really fast?" asked Stefan hopefully. And it didn't take long before he heard Ric's grim voice answering. "I'll be right there." Before the line went dead.

Stefan let the phone sink and a shaky breath escaped his lips. So he was not fighting alone anymore, help was coming. Everything was going to be fine.

He was still staring down on his phone whose screen had just gone dark while he listened to the quietness of the house. It was peaceful in the huge house for once and it almost made Stefan relax. Almost…

Because in the next moment he noticed what was missing. Damon's angry shouts and pounding had stopped, leaving an uncomfortable silent behind. Stefan's eyes went wide and he sprinted through the dark hallway and down the stairs. "Damon?" he shouted, his voice high with worry. The respond made his heart jump and he flew down the stairs even faster. "Stef?" Damon's voice was faint and laced with pain.

Stefan reached the door and pulled it open, tearing it almost out of its hinges. He had just enough time to release the door before reaching out to catch the stumbling form of Damon. He had probably been leaning against the cold door and when Stefan opened it, he fell against his chest. Stefan grabbed him to keep him standing. As soon as he wrapped his arms around Damon he could feel him tremble and heard him moan softly in agony. Unable to think of anything else to do, he held onto his brother and began to softly speak to him.

"Shh, Damon. Damon. Damon, I'm here. Damon." All Stefan could do was repeating his brother's name again and again, hoping to find any comfort in it for Damon and also for himself. It didn't help, he still felt the rocking of Damon's body in his arms and every slightest movement of his brother filled with unbearable pain felt like being stabbed right in the heart.

It hurt, feeling the pain of the remaining dagger in his heart but it hurt even more when it felt like it was turned. With every shaking breath that Damon took in, Stefan could feel how the imaginary knife was turned, creating even more pain and almost making him break down in sobs. He never once suffered as much as he did now which was ridiculous since it wasn't him who was dying. But it felt like dying, it felt like his heart was forced to stop beating.

Damon buried his head in the crock of Stefan's neck while he tried to hold on to his brother with trembling hands. But when his brother's shirt continued to slip from the weak grip of his hands, he lost his last possibility to keep himself upright and with no strength left in his body he sunk to the ground. Stefan went with him, trying to leave him enough room for breathing but at the same time desperately pulling him as close as possible.

Stefan could feel his shoulder getting more wet every second. But it took him about a minute to realize what caused his soaking shirt. Damon was crying. Silently and lonely. But still crying. Years of not showing any emotion and perfecting his unmoving mask were completely forgotten when facing death. Damon was afraid, even more than Stefan was. But he hadn't realized that until now. Not until he felt Damon's body rocking and unstoppable tears streaming down his cheeks into Stefan's shirt.

Stefan looked down on him and the view of his already fallen brother brought tears to his eyes. Carefully he bent his head so that it came to rest against Damon's and he could feel the soft strands of black hair brush his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the overpowering scent of his brother's hair already filling his nose and mind. It brought back memories of a better day, days when there were no worries, no vampires, no werewolves and no impending death.

But a strangled cry and Damon's convulsing body pulled him back to the cruel reality. Damon was shaking again, his muscle tense in agony and his hands were continuing to reach for something to grab and hold on tightly. Stefan knew that it wasn't safe to get him upstairs but he would never leave Damon down here in the basement. He was sick, fatally ill, and a cellar down in the cold basement was not the right place to keep him. How could Stefan even lock him down there? He slapped himself for being that heartless.

Carefully he loosened their embrace and let his arm sink lower so that he was in any position to lift his brother off the ground as soon as he calmed down. His left arm was still placed on Damon's back to press him to his chest. Damon's back was arching against Stefan's arm but he would not let go since it was the last active connection he had to Damon. Stefan closed his eyes, blending everything out that didn't belong in his mind right now to concentrate on the weaker getting convulsion of Damon's body. He felt the last twitch of the latest fit and how Damon became slack in his arms. And that was the moment he chose to dare carry him upstairs.

With one quick movement he lifted Damon up in his arms and watched as one last jolt went through the vampire's body before he went completely limp. There was nothing left in Damon that could keep him from slipping away. He blacked out coldly, probably grateful for the momentary peace. But Stefan's mind didn't rest. He couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that this was the second time in two days that Damon laid unconscious in his brother's arms. For a vampire, who was eternal, unable of getting sick, and incapable of blacking out, this was clearly too much.

Slowly Stefan turned and headed out of the dark room into the hall while making sure that Damon's head would not loll back and hit something. A headache added to his already fatal state was something that Stefan did not want to see Damon experience. So Stefan made it his job to get his brother upstairs in his room without any complications.

Not even the worst yank on the way up the stairs woke Damon from his forced sleep. But not until Stefan laid him down on the bed felt he relieved. With Damon settled in the bed and far away from new jolts and pulls that could bring him back to consciousness with a sudden yank and lots of pain, Stefan was finally able to take a deep breath and think about his next moves.

Alaric was on his way down to the house and Stefan was absolutely positive that Damon would be safe under Ric's watch. The history teacher dealt often enough with vampires and would probably know how to hold him down. But neither Ric nor Stefan had ever dealt with a sick and dying and _suicidal _vampire. Scratch that, neither of them had ever dealt with a sick _Damon_!

Stefan knew Damon when he was dying and suicidal. He had been the one to hold him back from his first attempt. And he had forced him out of the second. But Alaric never had done any of this. He had met enough vampires and not many of them had survived this confrontation. Damon was something else; he meant something to Alaric. And Stefan hoped that his brother meant enough to Alaric so that he would not end up being staked.

But on second thought, maybe that was the problem. What if Alaric loved Damon enough to end his suffering? Maybe Ric was strong enough and loved Damon enough to do the one thing that Stefan was afraid of. Damon had tried to end his suffering once. What if he would try it again, this time with extern help? Then Stefan wouldn't be fast enough like the last time, he would only stand in front of done business. And he was not ready for that yet … he probably never was … "Stefan?"

The faint voice pulled him out of his thought and back to reality and when he looked up from his shoes he was met by the dulled but still intense gaze of two crystal blue eyes. Quickly he slide closer to Damon and put his hand on the hot forehead while watching him close his eyes and moan softly. "What happened? I feel like being hit by a truck. No wait, that'd hurt less." Damon groaned and opened his eyes again to look up at his younger brother.

Stefan smiled lightly while rising to get a cold cloth to cool Damon down. "You know, I wish it would have been a truck. Because that way, it would just be over. If I would be human, at least." heard Stefan his brother murmur. He shook his head and soaked the cloth in cold water before returning to Damon's side.

"You shouldn't be that negative. In the end you end up like Dad, or worse, me!" said Stefan while carefully whipping the sweat off of Damon's skin. He closed his eyes again and smiled faintly. "We wouldn't want that, would we? But honestly, Stefan, what the hell happened? I remember you locking me in the basement, which of course I won't forgive you that fast!"

Stefan ran the cloth through Damon's damp hair and watched his brother relax thanks to the cold of the cloth. "You blacked out." he said quietly and nodded when Damon's eyes snapped open and the bewildered gaze met him. Damon groaned and rolled to the side before muttering in the pillow. "No fucking way!"

The thud of the closing front door made Stefan rise and leave the room. He looked back at Damon and when their gazes connected, he nodded shortly before giving him a serious stare. "Don't do anything stupid in the two minutes that I'm gone." Through the closed door he heard his brother's reply. "Why shouldn't I? At least in those two minutes no one is stopping me!"

But Stefan only sighed and made his way down the stairs to get a new suicide watch for his brother.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wooh an update! Shocking isn't it? Nobody had expected that...**

**Yeah, now's the moment when I should say sorry, so here I go: Sorry, if anyone expected an Update but was disappointed by me...**

**You know, Exams, flight back to Germany, friends I haven't seen in a year... Excuses over excuses...**

**But anyway, thanks for the lovely reviews. I love you! 33 Please keep them up, I felt so encouraged ... (even if it took me forever to finish this chapter, sorry again **:)**)**

**Until next time**

**LaLaina **


	5. Partner, Friend, and even more

_Chapter 5:_

The front door of the huge house was forcefully slammed close and Stefan could hear hasting steps down the hallway. He hurried down the stairs and could see that Alaric had already reached the bottom of the stairs. His head shot up when he heard the steps crack under Stefan's feet.

Alaric's hair was ruffled and it looked as if he had just gotten out of the bed. But Stefan knew for sure that his teacher had already a long and drunken night behind him and he was sure that Ric hadn't seen a bed in hours. And Alaric's eyes were proof enough for it. They were bloodshot and not entirely focused.

He must have had more to drink in this one night than in his entire time with Damon that he spend with taking shots on Whiskey, one Bourbon after another. This experience brought him even closer to Damon who still was the undisputed winner in matters of drinking. And if Stefan didn't find a way to safe his brother's life, Alaric would win this game. Not that he would have any pleasure in it.

Ric's wide opened eyes and the concern shown in it made Stefan realize that Ric really liked Damon. But he wasn't surprised. They were so similar, no wonder they got so close. And if you were honest you had to say that they were a pretty good team. _Awesome_ team, would Damon correct right now. Well, yes, they were awesome together. Still, they were more than just a vampire killing team, they were friends.

And the fact that Alaric was standing now in front of him, concern and panic flashing in his eyes, showed that they were even more. They were best friends. And that was what surprised Stefan. That Damon had let someone so close to him when he still pushed his brother and the girl that he loved away. And added to that, Ric was a human, something that Damon looked at as pathetic and weak. If someone ever is going to understand Damon Salvatore, they needed to call him. Because Stefan was sure that he never would, that nobody would do so ever.

Alaric's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and made him look back to his teacher. "Where is he? _How _is he? I need to see him, now!"

And there was nothing to respond so Stefan just crocked his head slightly to the right in approval and took a step aside to let Alaric pass. When Ric reached him, they made their way up the stairs together but Stefan soon found that Ric didn't even needed directions since he quickly strode in the direction of Damon's room.

But before he could reach for the door handle and open the door, Stefan laid a hand on it and stepped in front of him. Alaric eyed him wearily but Stefan just shook his head and explained.

"Look, he's not good. His body is already fighting the poison and he's not winning. It takes its toll and right now it's just the physical weakness. But soon it could be mental and he won't recognize you. I hope he's not that far already, but still you need to be prepared to not see the Damon who is your friend. He won't hold back, so you make sure to protect yourself. Okay?"

He searched for Ric's gaze and was surprised to be met by it and to see that it was steady and open. The Alaric who would face a house full of vampires with only a few stakes and a psychopathic vampire as companion was back. And this Alaric was the strong, the one that had gotten lost after Jenna's death.

"I know. I know what's going to happen. He told me. What happened to Rose, I mean. But he probably never imagined that it would get him someday." he said and still held Stefan's gaze when he quietly added, "And I did never either."

There was nothing to say for Stefan and he only stared at Ric. What should he say anyway? That he felt the same? That he always thought that when he would lose his brother it would be fast and without suffering. Without suffering for Damon of course, he would just be the one to be left behind, trying to deal with the happened. But now, he had to watch Damon declining, something that he didn't wished anyone especially not his brother.

But all these thoughts were private, there was no one who would understand him. Everyone loved Damon in their own way, more or less, sooner or later, but nobody did love him as much as Stefan did. So he kept everything bottled up, not letting anything slip. Just as in this moment. He was just going to open the door without any reply to Ric.

But a hand on his underarm stopped him. Ric looked at him and Stefan could see how hurt he looked. And the next question out of his mouth made Stefan understand.

"Would he have told be? I mean, why didn't he tell me?"

That was a question that Stefan had already asked himself. Would have Damon told anybody or just kept quiet until someone would find out about it? After all that was what had happened. Damon would have walked away on the graveyard if Stefan hadn't stopped him.

And suddenly Stefan realized something even more hurting than just the fact that Damon wouldn't have told him. Damon would have left. If not for Stefan, he would have left that evening without a word to anybody. And Stefan would have been hurt and angry just to find later that his brother died without him knowing. Or, without Stefan, he would have been successful in taking his life earlier this morning.

"Stefan?" Once again Ric's voice pulled him out of his reverie. Stefan returned his questioning look and shook his head slowly.

"I don't know. I just … I don't know. He didn't even tell me. I found about it randomly. So I guess, he would just have left, saying something like he's going to find Klaus … or saying nothing at all."

It hurt to actually say these things out loud. But it was the truth, as hurtful as it was. And he could see that Alaric came to the same realization. Ric lowered his head. "Yeah, that sounds like Damon." he said quietly.

Stefan turned to finally open the door and led Ric into his brother's room. It still looked like minutes ago and Stefan was kind of relieved to see Damon still lying on the bed. Though not in the same position as before, what was alarming.

Obviously Damon had tossed and turned, obviously trying to ease the pain. Man, he was gone for just minutes and again Damon was in unbearable pain. This was taking less time than first thought. Right now Damon was curled up in the middle of his bed and had buried his head in the pillow.

Not that it'd helped anything because in the next second he made a weak attempt to toss it across the room which ended in him sagging back into the mattress and the pillow falling down to the ground just a few feet away from the bed. But now Damon was lying panting on his back and had his eyes firmly closed.

Stefan heard Alaric take in a deep breath but already in the next second the teacher brushed past him and approached the bed. This was really taking Stefan off guard and he had no idea how to react so he just followed Ric and watched him sit down next to Damon.

"Damon? Hey, buddy." addressed Ric his friend and Stefan could clearly hear the worry and sympathy in his voice. Alaric carefully reached out to brush some strands out of Damon's forehead before resting his hand against it. His brows furrowed when he registered how the vampire was burning up.

"Ric?" Damon's eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on his partner. But the normally ice-blue eyes stayed dull grey and dilated. It suddenly hit Stefan that Damon wasn't able to see them anymore, and it shocked him to realize that the first of his brother's senses had already fallen victim to the werewolf bite. Yeah, this was clearly too fast for his liking.

But still Alaric smiled next to him at hearing Damon's weak voice. He ruffled through the black hair while responding in a low voice. "Yeah, it's me. I'm here, don't worry."

And now that Stefan looked down on the two friends, he realized that this was his cue to leave. The brother time was up, now it was the turn of the best friend. And after that, there would be the time for the lover. The last goodbyes from everyone important. And then it would be over.

But not if Stefan could prevent it! And he would do it, at any cost.

Stefan cleared his throat and when Alaric looked up at him, he gave him last instructions. "I gotta go now. Ric, you take care of him, don't you? Please don't let him out of your sight." He waited for the confirming nodding and with one final glance at them he turned to leave the room.

But at the door he hesitated and without turning he said over his shoulder: "Oh, and don't let him anywhere near the sunlight." And with that he closed the door, knowing fully well that he just left a confused Alaric behind.

Oh well, Damon had to deal with that one. Stefan had the more important task of getting a house full of witches to cooperate.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So here it is, Chapter 6. Sorry, didn't really find the time to write and now there are stupid summer readings but I'll try anyway...**

**Because I actually plan to get somewhere with this story! But I guess it's still forming in that little brain of mine...**

**So whatever, there's No. 6, a short chapter with a little Alaric because I love him! :))**

**Uh and what's even better! I started watching Supernatural today! Which is creeping me out a bit because well it's kinda creepy and I hate stuff like that but man! he's soo cute!**

**And when you think about it, it's not even surprising that so many TVD fans like Supernatural as well... I mean their names are Dean and Damon and they're the older brothers while their younger siblings are named Sam and Stefan... Oh come on! That's too obvious! :)) And Dean is driving a Chevrolet Impala '67 while Damon's car is a Chevrolet Camaro '69... that's just so alike! And I didn't even start with how much alike that act!**

**Aw I just love them both! So all those Dean girls out there, I joined the movement! xDD**

**(Sorry, too much caffeine at a too late hour and too many good looking guys in old Chevys... that just had to end bad... ;))**

**LaLaina**


	6. New Allies, One Enemy

_Chapter 6:_

Bonnie's petite form was clearly visible in front of the building where she stood to wait for Stefan. He could see the tension in her stand and almost smelled her anxiousness. His declaration on the phone obviously had her expecting the worst, and she now waited for him to find out what was wrong.

And right there was the problem. She expected to hear of a problem concerning Elena's or Jeremy's wellbeing, not Damon's. Damon wasn't her concern. She would not hurt him, but that was only thanks to Elena, not Damon himself. And after all it was not her job to make sure that he was fine.

But she had to help Stefan. Because she was the only hope he had right now. No one was able to help him save Damon except for this one little powerful witch. And as a witch, she had to maintain the balance. The balance of death had clearly shifted here in Mystic Falls.

When Damon died, it wasn't the will of nature. If it had been, Damon would be long dead, died of the shot that their father fired all those years ago. In fact, if nature truly had an effect on the lives of all those people, Damon would have never met Katherine, would have never loved her, would have never died for her; he could have lived the happy life he had once dreamed about.

But then maybe it was destiny. Maybe there really was a God who drew straws and decided that Damon wasn't worth living anymore. That Damon had fulfilled his destiny in saving Elena, saving Caroline and Tyler. Maybe everything that happened was to reach this one goal, saving a handful of innocent humans. Now that it happened, the savior was not important enough to be kept alive.

_No! _screamed a voice in Stefan. That was not what was going to happen! This was not Damon's destiny, this was not what Damon had lived for. This would not be the end!

Not if Stefan could prevent it. Which he would. He would never give Damon up ever again. He did so all those years ago, and look how long it had taken to get him back! When he looked at Damon now, he could see the older Salvatore, his real brother, the Damon he loved and wanted to protect just the way Damon had done for him all his youth.

But this also was the Damon who died one hundred and fifty years ago, damned to die for love. And suddenly Stefan realized that once again his brother would die for love. His love for Elena was great enough to put the lives of her friends above his own. And that was what always would be Stefan's problem.

Damon obviously had not one single thought about Stefan while putting his life in danger. Maybe Damon didn't know how much Stefan cared about him. Or maybe Damon didn't care about Stefan. That was a devastating thought.

How could your own brother, whom you loved for more than a century, forget about you and the pain that it would cause you when you lost him? It made no sense to Stefan. He just could sigh and once again think that nobody ever would understand the confusing logic of Damon Salvatore.

If Stefan had spent more thoughts on this topic, the outcome might have been different. He might had the chance to come close or even grasp the real thought of Damon on this topic. That Damon thought himself replaceable, by humans, whom Stefan clearly came to care about more than his brother, who swore an eternity of misery on him. Something Damon could never forget because in those moments where he allowed his feelings to overwhelm him, all the remorse, all the sorrow and all the love would sweep over him and the only thing that Damon came in mind was how he betrayed his little brother and lied to him.

And that was one of the reasons why Damon kept his distance. Since Stefan was done with their relationship.

But just like Stefan never tried to really understand the motivations behind Damon's actions, Damon had never really tried to understand Stefan's feelings towards him.

So the messed up relationship of the Salvatore Brothers would never be resolved, not until one of them would step over their great pride and make a step towards the other. Which would never happen; at least not in this eternity. And who knew how long they would survive this eternity, much more the next.

Stefan took the last few steps that brought him out of the shadows of the trees and into the sight of Bonnie. The concerned face of the young woman almost instantly brightened up when she saw the boyfriend of her best friend but the deep frowning lines on her forehead stayed. As soon as Stefan made his way over to her, she began to throw questions at him.

"Stefan! What's going on? You just hung up on me! Don't you dare do this to me! I thought something happened to Elena and …"

Inwardly Stefan had to sigh. Teenager would always be the same. If troubled and nervous, they couldn't stop talking. Maybe it was some way to fill their mind with something aside from their anxiousness. It was annoying as hell. But right now he couldn't change a thing about, just make his incredible bad mood room in form of interrupting her.

"Elena's alright. Jeremy too, and you know that Caroline can take care of herself."

Bonnie let out a sigh of relief; she obviously really had thought something happened to one of her friends. However, the relieved expression on her face was soon replaced with a slight frown. Stefan could guess what she was thinking.

Stefan's gaze drifted down to look at the soft grass under his feet. This was the moment to find out if Bonnie was willing to help save Damon. A critical moment because it depended on Stefan to make her see what she would gain from helping his brother. It was all a question of presenting the options. But there was just one option: save Damon. Nothing else would count. Stefan looked up and met Bonnie's questioning eyes.

"It's Damon."

Stefan's gaze didn't waver, he held Bonnie's intense brown eyes and would not break the eye contact. He was ready to give her whatever she wanted so that she would just help Damon. He put all his feelings, all the pain and desperation and hope in his stare and hoped that Bonnie would see it.

Surely Bonnie saw something. Something Stefan could not identify had flashed in her eyes, was it sympathy?, but as soon as he tried to put a name to it, it was gone, replaced by utterly confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Stefan was still searching for a change in her expression but there was really nothing else than her genuine bewilderment. She was not hiding anything, she really had no clue what had happened. But Stefan's hope rose more than just slightly when he saw no hatred or scorn in her eyes.

"Tyler bit him. He's already slipping away and I don't have much time before he's dead. So please, Bonnie! I need your help!"

Stefan was pleading, he knew that. But his pride was long gone, left behind with his dying brother. He clung to his hope, like a drowning man clinging to a drifting wooden board on the wide open ocean, desperate for this last comfort that it was giving before letting go and end his misery once and for all. And Stefan knew that if he lost his hope there was nothing left to hold his sanity together. He would go down in desperation and this time Damon would not be here to slap him out of it. Within a few hours there would be nothing left of Damon.

All of Damon would be gone, the cruel killer, the smoldering lover, the sarcastic friend, and the loving brother. Every single person that Damon had made out of himself would die a horrifying death.

But Bonnie could stop it. Possibly. If she wanted to.

"What can I do?"

Perplex Stefan stared at his girlfriend's best friend. A steady gaze out of the determined face of Bonnie met his eyes and left his mind reeling. He hadn't even noticed how Bonnie had thought about helping Damon but obviously she had come to a decision in those few minutes he had zoned out. She would help them. His facial expression obviously had given his bewilderment away since Bonnie repeated herself.

"I'll help. What do you want me to do?"

Slowly a faint smile appeared on Stefan's face und he saw how Bonnie couldn't help but smile back at him. He had won another ally in the fight against the illness. Both Alaric and Bonnie were siding with him; this would leave a good basis to get Caroline to help too. That was if they even had to convince her. He knew that Caroline and Damon had a special connection. She saw his big brother as her own brother, as her mentor, and also kind of her father. Damon was the one to turn her; she had his blood still in her. His blood had saved her and she would make sure that she saved him.

But still, they had no plan how to save him yet. And it was Bonnie's job to ensure this information.

"I want to ask Emily. She probably knows something, and after all she still owes him."

Stefan had no idea if Bonnie would be able ask the witches anything. The last time she communicated with them, they gave her all their power. Were they still willing to work with her or did they think that their job was done? But all they need was a simple answer: could they save Damon, yes or no? If yes, how? This information wouldn't cost much, would it?

Bonnie eyed him wearily. Stefan could feel his confidence sink with every elapsing second. Then the young witch sighed.

"We'll ask her, but you know that we can't be sure that she will answer. You don't know if she knows anything about it and if she's even willing to help."

Yes, Stefan knew that. But asking didn't cost.

Stefan nodded and followed Bonnie when she turned and made her way up the small uprising to the old mansion. Bonnie led him down the stairs to the basement and Stefan could see that the entire room was filled with candles. In the middle of the room a blanket was spread and the witch's ancestors' books lay in a circle around it. Bonnie sank down on the blanket and motioned Stefan to followed suit.

He did as he was told and watched as Bonnie closed her eyes. Every single candle in the room flickered to life and a warm steady glow enlightened the room but other than the crackle of the small fires there was no noise heard.

Bonnie sank in deep concentration and all Stefan could do was watch her and hope. He could see that the ancient witches were giving her a hard time; her eyes were shut tightly and frowns appeared and her face as she concentrated on keeping the contact. Stefan didn't know how long she could keep the connection and he had no idea how long it would take her to convince the witches to talk to him.

Suddenly Bonnie stretched her hand out towards him.

"Take it! She wants to talk to you!" she pressed out through clenched teeth.

And Stefan didn't hesitate, he grabbed her hand instantly. But he wasn't prepared for what followed that action.

The world started to spin around him and dimmed until he sank into total blackness. He felt strangely disconnected from his body as if he was floating through the blackness. He turned but he wasn't sure if he had accomplished anything with it, he still saw nothing but darkness.

A darkness that started to brighten up with every second. He could now see that it began to turn into a dark green, forest green to be exact. And as he looked up the green turned even brighter and he could see forms and shadows. His surroundings turned into a forest.

Stefan stared into the forest in disbelief. He couldn't count how many woods he had seen before but he would never forget the forest he had ran through when he was a small child. This was the forest of his hometown, Mystic Falls, his forest, but what was even weirder, it was the forest of his youth!

"Stefan. What do you want from me?"

Stefan jumped at the deep feminine voice and quickly turned. Disbelieving he stared in the face of a young beautiful black woman.

"Emily."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Yes, I'm still alive...**

**I promised myself that I would get Chapter 6 done before my birthday...**

**And now guess what's today!**

**So it's just a kinda fill-chapter, but the next one will have more Emily in it... because I like her...**

**Please leave some lovely reviews as little birthday presents (:**

**Until the next time...**

**LaLaina**


	7. For What's it Worth

_Chapter 7: _

"Emily."

Stefan's voice was hoarse as he stared at the young witch. Her deep brown eyes bored through him while he stood in front of her. He could see how she quickly looked him up and down before her eyes returned in a hard stare to his eyes.

"What do you want, Stefan?" she repeated. Her voice was like he remembered, deep and husky. However now he heard a threat in it that he never heard to her lifetime. Or maybe it was just that Stefan now, more than a lifetime later, realized how dangerous this woman could really be.

He couldn't help it; he felt himself grow stiff under her in intense stare. He didn't even know how it was possible for witches to grow even stronger when they were dead. But he could feel the power radiating of Emily and it made the vampire in Stefan want to run from the powerful witch.

But the brother in him made him stay and face the possible threat.

"Damon. I need help for Damon."

He held his chin high and met the hard eyes of Emily. He wouldn't back down, not if she was able to help. And he was sure she could.

But her next words shattered the little hope that was left in him.

"We can't help you."

Emily's voice was grim, as were her eyes. Nothing in her face told him if it was a lie. But it had to be because no matter what, there was always a solution. That's what Damon told him when they were kids. And it seemed that Damon was always right.

So that left only one possibility:

"You don't want to help." Stefan stated calmly even when rage started to fill his whole body and he could feel the ground vibrating under his feet. It was a difference if the witches were able to help or if they just refused to help him.

But Emily shook her head and said determinedly: "We won't help you."

Stefan's soulful green eyes blazed at her. Pain was clearly written in them with desperation carefully underlining it. They had to help him because he didn't know where else he could get help. His request to the witches was already desperate, they were his only hope.

The pain in his shining eyes intensified when he thought about his brother writhing in pain, surely dying if he did not get help soon. How many vampires before Damon had been infected with the werewolf poison? Surely all of them had suffered the same fate as well. But how many of them had sought for help from the witches? And how many of them had help been granted? Why had he to beg for it?

"Because it's Damon?" he asked, his voice cracking on his brother's name. Was the world really that cruel? Was it decided that some people weren't going to live, no matter how loved they were or how much they would be missed?

And as Stefan looked at Emily's unchangeable impression he decided that yes, the world really was that cruel. So where was the one who decided that Damon was one of those persons who would not live to see the next morning? Because Emily sure as hell wasn't one of them. She wouldn't hold that much power to decide Damon's fate. Or did she?

"You know why."

Why? Why they didn't help? Because it was Damon. Why they refused to help Damon? Because he killed humans. But exactly! He was a vampire and vampires kill. That's what they are, that's what they do. It's not like witches and humans are better, they killed as well. So why exactly was Damon dying again?

"No. No, I don't! So please enlighten me." Stefan shouted furiously which earned him a disapproving look out of doe brown eyes. Emily held his gaze for a few more seconds before she turned away and took two long steps away from him. There she stood with her back turned on him for minutes until she continued to speak.

"To keep the balance. Vampires are not allowed to survive a bite. That's the way it always was and always will be." She explained with casual voice, stating rules that she didn't made and wouldn't break.

Stefan blinked.

"Keep the balance?" Balance of what exactly?

"Of nature." Emily retorted and Stefan couldn't help but hear the boredom creeping into her voice.

"So you're saying he has to die to keep the nature stable." He repeated slowly. Stefan shook his head. That didn't make sense. But Emily nodded once sharply, still not looking in his direction but gazing out into the forest.

And then suddenly realization slammed into Stefan. Nature was unbalanced. Something had changed, something that wasn't allowed to happen. It combined the fates of werewolves and vampires. Klaus.

Stefan's gaze tore away from the forest ground where it had dropped during his train of thought to linger on Emily's small back. Anger once again filled his inner core to an extent that would be considered unhealthy for people as calm as Stefan.

"Then, Emily, tell me. Why is Klaus allowed to live? Why is he allowed to turn into something that's not natural? Why is Damon being punished for something that never was his doing?"

Stefan's vision was pulsing red as he thought about Klaus and his stupid curse and that now again this was costing one more life even after all those they already paid with. It wasn't fair! They tried everything, they paid with blood for the failure but still they couldn't stop it.

The vampires couldn't stop Klaus from turning just as the werewolves couldn't. And Stefan was pretty sure that the witches just didn't. They spoke the curse, they had the power to break it. Which means that they had the power to prevent it from being broken. But they didn't.

"We didn't allow it! We couldn't change it; it happened and now we can't turn back time to avoid it." Emily's tense shoulders and her denying words just strengthened Stefan's assumptions.

"It was a witch's doing. A witch broke the curse! And now I call for vengeance." Stefan threw at Emily's tight back, his voice laced with angry demand.

This finally got him a reaction from the small witch. Emily spun around and looked at him with shock written all over her face.

"You do what?" Her voice was shrill as she stared at him with wide eyes. But Stefan met Emily's surprised gaze with his own hard one.

"It was the witches' place to keep Klaus from becoming a hybrid. A hybrid is not natural. So it has to be erased out of the equation to keep the balance. It's your job to do so." Stefan almost shouted the accusing at the witch. He slowly but surely lost the grip on his anger while confronting the dispassionate woman. He continued to yell his demands at her, his voice rising with every accusing word.

"But since you're not able to kill Klaus, nobody will be expecting it from you. But we are some of the direct victims. And we demand repayment for the lives that your failure cost us. And we want the witches to save Damon as a compensation."

Emily's eyes widened even more when she heard his final demand and she began to slowly stalk back in his direction. Her eyes now flashed with the same anger that Stefan's whole stance shouted out and her voice was low and threatening.

"How dare you to demand the life of one single indifferent vampire for the failure of one witches doing? She did wrong in supporting Klaus. But that doesn't mean that _Damon_ is to live!" She pronounced Damon's name with emphasize to make sure that Stefan saw how unimportant his brother's life was in considering the world's greater good.

"Klaus is altering the life of every single creature living on earth. He affects humans and witches as much as he affects vampires and werewolves. He has to be taking down, I understand that. But Damon is not to be considered with the same amount of attention on witches' side. He is not worth the importance of Klaus!"

Stefan took a step back at her furious words. They hit a sore spot in his heart; it didn't handle the topic of how lowly Damon was considered by everybody well in the moment. His heart denied the truth in Emily's words even while his head agreed with her.

But his heart would always be the more convincing one in relation to his logic.

So he continued to deny her words, shaking his head and throwing trembling words back at her.

"No. You don't get to say what Damon is worth!"

Emily looked up at him and he could see a sad smile play around the corners of her mouth. He shook his head even harder and could feel the tears rising in his eyes at the display of pity from the coldhearted witch.

"It doesn't matter, Stefan. It doesn't matter how much you love him. Don't you understand? Damon is doomed, there is nothing that anyone could do to save him." Her voice was quieter now, almost calming as if she really was trying to comfort him while taking his last hopes.

"No. No, don't say that." His vision blurred as he felt the first drops of sweet moisture run out of the corners of his eyes and down his cheeks, leaving behind wet scars of hopelessness.

"Stefan, maybe it's his time to go now. You know how much he suffered through life and death. Maybe this is the salvation for him."

He heard her but he denied her words, not acknowledging that she was lying out Damon's last comfort in front of him. He was openly sobbing now.

"I know you don't want to let him go. He's your brother and you love him. But it's his time."

He sank down to the earth under her words, crying uncontrollably as the meaning finally hit him with full force.

"Let go." said the calm whisper in his ear for him only to know.

"I can't." screamed his heart out into the world for everyone to hear.

"But you need to. And you need to go now. Go to your brother. You need to be there."

Emily's voice started to fade away along with the surrounding forest. But just as Stefan thought she was gone he heard the wind carry one last goodbye of her light voice in his ear.

"Just remember, there is nothing natural in this world that is able to save your brother."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Back from the dead... Not for long but anyway...**

**So I guess this one's a bit jumpy. But it feels like everything I write is jumpy so no real difference there...**

**I'm probably going over this one again but I'm just not in the mood right now, so I hope that this is satisfying for now.**

**Yeah, I'm off hiding in my dreamy head again and don't expect to come out soon, so I guess I see you in a while...**

**LaLaina**


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